The Ultimate Guide to Surviving Lilac Fest!

Even though Calgarians have been enjoying warm weather for a few weeks now, it never really feels like summer has started until Lilac Fest, which takes place this Sunday, June 4th. If you’ve never been, well, you might actually be the only Calgarian. It’s a one-day street festival that basically consumes 4th Street from the Elbow River all the way down to 12th Ave SW. The festival is packed with food, shopping, musicians, buskers and more. That’s why it attracts more than 100,000 people every single year.

So with that many people, and many things to do, it’s essential that you come up with a plan. So I’ve teamed up with the awesome folks at car2go to present to you, the Ultimate Guide to Surviving Lilac Fest!

Prepare to Park: With 100,000 people coming to Lilac Fest, not everyone is going to walk or bike to the festival. So if you have to drive, take advantage of car2go’s VIP parking. All you have to do is leave your car2go at the Drop Zone at 4th St and 23 Ave SW (enter via 2nd St). If you’re not a car2go member yet, you can now get FREE car2go registration and $10 credit when you use code LILACFEST at www.car2go.com

Come hungry: There’s more than 500 vendors at Lilac Fest and many of them have food, lots of food. My plan is to get free lunch first at the car2go Lounge on the corner of 4th St. SW & 15th Ave. SW. That way I’m not making my food choices on an empty stomach. car2go will be treating the first 1,000 members to a free lunch from Taiko Taco starting at 11am. The good news is that you can sign up to become a member now or at the event and still score free lunch.

Go early: The Lilac Fest runs from 10am to 6pm. Whatever time you’re planning on going, go an hour earlier. There’s a lot of people who are thinking of going at the exact same time as you. It’s sorta like brunch. Plus, you have a lot of ground to cover and you don’t want to feel rushed.

Take a break: The Lilac Fest is a busy and fun time, but you’ll no doubt need to take a break or two. If you’re a car2go member, head down to the corner of 4th St. SW & 15th Ave. SW, and relax in the car2go Lounge. There you can score yourself some driving credit and recharge your phone and metaphorical batteries.

Leave the pooch at home: This one drives me nuts, so I have to include it. Make sure you leave your dog at home. A big street festival is no place to take your dog on a walk. They don’t like it. Especially the big and little dogs. Plus, you’d need to carry around an approved carrier if you took your dog in a car2go anyway.

The Lilac Fest is just the first of many Calgary adventures ahead of us this summer. So grab your car2go membership and we’ll see you out there!